Chesterfield V4P

14/02/2025

Barry says happy valentines day to all of our clients and their fur babies.

Fill the comments with your pets, lets show some love 💜💜💜

14/02/2025

❤️ Happy Valentines Day ❤️

A day to celebrate all things love, including our love for our pets 🥰

How cute does Henry look in his bandana!!!!!💗

07/02/2025

❤️As Valentine's Day approaches, there will be more chocolate treats and flowers around homes than usual, which can pose a threat to our pets.
Last year, our out of hours clinics saw a 60% rise in flower toxicity cases in the two weeks surrounding Valentine's Day and an 8% rise in chocolate cases.

🌸Many flowers are toxic to dogs and cats, such as-
Lillies, Foxgloves, Daffodils and Tulips.. The list goes on. We urge our clients to research what flowers are safe for your pets, especially if you have them around your house this valentines.

🍫Many of us are aware that chocolate is toxic to dogs, however it is also toxic to cats. Chocolate contains the ingredients caffeine and theobromine, both of which are harmful to cats. In large amounts, it can cause death

Below is a chocolate toxicity calculator: https://dog-chocolate-calculator.vets-now.com/
Please note- it is always advised to have your pet checked by a vet after consuming chocolate.

If you suspect your pet has eaten chocolates, flowers, xylitol or any type of decoration... Think S.P.E.E.D., please dont hesitate to call us on 01246 269666.
☎️If it is during our closed hours, please contact Chesterfield Vets Now on 01246 930562.

03/02/2025

🐾❤️🌈In remembrance of those who passed over the rainbow bridge in January🐾 ❤️ 🌈

🐶 Bruce
🐶 Barney
🐶 Billy
🐶 Barney
🐶 Brandy
🐶 Chewie
🐶 Charlie
🐶 Douglas
🐶 Duke
🐹 Harvey
🐱 Jersey
🐶 Jess
🐱 Lola
🐱 Misty
🐶 Ruby
🐱 Suzie
🐶 Ted
🐱 Tiger
🐶 Tyson
🐶 Toffee
🐱 Trixie

🐾❤️🌈If you would like a name adding to our remembrance post, please let us know🐾❤️🌈

30/01/2025

Some of the team are going to be doing the 100 Squats a Day Challenge this February to help raise money for Cancer Research UK.

Please show your support and help fund life-saving research by donating to their page.

Best of luck to the girls taking part. We will keep you all updated as they get on 💪🏻

Thanks for visiting my fundraising page. I’m going to be doing the 100 Squats a Day Challenge this February to help raise money for Cancer Research UK. Please show your support and help fund life-saving research by donating to my page.

29/01/2025

‼️‼️🐶For The Attention of Dog Owners🐶‼️‼️
Your dog’s vaccination regime protects against several potentially fatal diseases, one of these being Leptospirosis. Dogs will be exposed to this via contaminated water, especially where rats are around.
📣We must inform you that our vaccine manufacturer is discontinuing the Lepto 2 (L2) vaccine. All dogs will now start on or transition to the Lepto 4 (L4) vaccine.

➡️Why Lepto 4?
Broader Protection- Lepto 4 protects against four strains of Leptospira, including those responsible for the most common and severe cases of leptospirosis in dogs. In contrast, Lepto 2 only protects against two strains, leaving dogs at risk for infections from the additional strains.
Increased Efficacy- Studies show that the Lepto 4 vaccine provides a stronger and longer-lasting immune response, helping your dog fend off leptospirosis more effectively.

➡️What to Expect
Annual Boosters: If your dog is due for their annual booster, they will receive the first dose of the L4 vaccine during this visit. A second dose of L4 will be required four weeks after the first. We are pleased to provide this second dose at no charge to ensure your dog is fully protected. Please note- if you miss this second appointment 4 weeks later, you would be required to pay the restart fee.

Adult dogs restarting their vaccination courses will receive the first L4 vaccination at their appointment alongside DHPPi. A second dose of the L4 is required in FOUR weeks’ time- this will be booked during your visit here as it has to be exactly 4 weeks.

Puppies: Your puppy will receive the first L4 vaccination today alongside the other vaccines they require: distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus (DHPPI). A second dose of both the L4 and DHPPI are required in four weeks’ time.

🔔Please share this with your family and friends, clients or not, as this will affect ALL dogs currently on Nobivac L2.

25/01/2025

‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️
We are currently experiencing problems with our phone lines.

If you need to contact the surgery, please do so via the following methods:

📞 Mobile : 07519 812 554

🖥️ Email : [email protected]

✅ WhatsApp : 07403 926913

💙 Facebook messenger

ANY CALLS AFTER 12pm PLEASE CONTACT CHESTERFIELD VETS NOW ON 01246930562

Sorry for any inconvenience caused.

16/01/2025

Barry’s New Year’s resolutions are going amazingly well.

1) eat ✅
2) sleep ✅
3) repeat ✅

14/01/2025

❄️Cold weather can affect your dog just like it affects us❄️
‼️Keep an eye out for signs of discomfort such as:
👉🏽Shivering
👉🏽Lifting paws off the ground
👉🏽Whining or barking and slowing down on walks
👉🏽Tucking their tail in
👉🏽Cold ears
👉🏽Hunched posture
👉🏽Reluctance to move

🧤How to keep your pup warm:
👉🏽Short-haired dogs? Pop a coat on them!
👉🏽Always dry them off after a walk in wet weather.
👉🏽Be sure to check their paws for signs of cracking, residual snow/ grit.
👉🏽Make sure their bed is away from drafts and cold floors.
👉🏽Remember - if it's too cold for you, it's too cold for them!
If you have any concerns about your pet, please don’t hesitate to call us on 01246 269666 , or use our WhatsApp link!☎️

02/01/2025

🐾❤️🌈In remembrance of those who passed over the rainbow bridge in December🐾 ❤️ 🌈

🐶Arnie
🐶 Benji
🐶 Billy
🐶 Brenda
🐰 Brownie
🐶 Cassian
🐱 Colin
🐶 Darcy
🐱 Florence
🐶 May
🐱 Ozzie
🐶 Ruby
🐶 Rusty
🐶 Sadie
🐶 Sinjin
🐶 Sky
🐱 Smudge
🐱 Sox
🐱 Tallulah
🐶 Tilly

🐾❤️🌈If you would like a name adding to our remembrance post, please let us know🐾❤️🌈

01/01/2025

Happy New Years!🎆🎊

30/12/2024

🚨 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐗𝐋 𝐁𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐎𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐀𝐜𝐭 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐃𝐨𝐠 𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐞𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝🚨

XL Bully owners only have until the 𝟑𝟏 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 to apply for an exemption certificate and avoid the risk of their dog being seized and facing court action.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞.

𝐓𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐗𝐋 𝐁𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭:
✅ Be microchipped
✅ Be licensed
✅ Have third-party insurance
✅ Neutering is also required, but you can do this after applying, with evidence due by 30 June 2025.

📅 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵: 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘮𝘪𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘺 31 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 2024, 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘴.

🦴 Don't risk losing your pet—apply today! 🦴

For more details on the exemption process, visit:
👉 nidirect.gov.uk/xl-bully-dogs

👉 Or contact the Dog Control team at Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council for assistance 🔗 antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk/xl-bully

30/12/2024

Just a quick reminder of our NYE opening hours🎆
✅We are open tomorrow 8.30am-12pm.
❌New Year’s Day- CLOSED
✅02/02/2025- open as usual.

27/12/2024

Here are some top tips to help keep your dog settled this New Years.🎆🐶
Keep your eyes peeled for our post on Cats!

‼PLEASE REMEMBER: The alcoholic beverages may well be freely flowing, and any alcohol left unattended or within easy reach of pets is liable to cause similar signs if ingested by them as it does in their owners: wobbliness and drowsiness may be seen and in severe cases, there is a risk of low body temperature, low blood sugar and coma. Dogs seem particularly fond of whisky-based cream drinks so be aware that alcohol is toxic to pets and make sure they do not have access to them. If you are concerned about your pet this New Years, or suspect they have eaten something they shouldn't of, think S.P.E.E.D. and contact Chesterfield VetsNow immediately on 01246 930562.

25/12/2024

Merry Christmas to our lovely clients and their furbabies🎅🏼
We hope you enjoy your festivities, and have a well deserved break! ❤️ 🐾

‼️just a reminder, if your pet is in need of any medical attention today please contact Chesterfield VetsNow on 📞 01246 930562.

18/12/2024

‼If your pet is low on medication, and may run out over the Christmas period, tomorrow is the last day you will be able to order medication in time to receive it before Christmas‼

16/12/2024

‼️‼️‼️THIS THURSDAY IS THE LAST DAY TO ORDER MEDICATION TO RECEIVE IT IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS‼️‼️‼️

💊‼️💊‼️💊‼️💊‼️💊‼️💊‼️💊‼️💊‼️💊‼️💊The last date to order your pets medication to receive it in time before Christmas is THURSDAY 19TH DECEMBER- to arrive by MONDAY 23RD DECEMBER
💊‼️💊‼️💊‼️💊‼️💊‼️💊‼️💊‼️💊‼️💊

12/12/2024

Where’s Barry?
We wondered….. 🤔

25/02/2024

When Kelly from our Colton store's Pets Grooming salon discovered a lump on the tail of nine-year-old Rufus she suspected something wasn't right, so alerted his owners Les and Andrea so they could get it checked out. They brought him to Vets for Pets Leeds Colton where it was confirmed he had a cancerous tumour which needed surgery.

Les, who adopted Rufus from Dogs Trust in Leeds as a puppy, said: “Rufus is such a big part of our life; we’re absolutely besotted with him. We probably wouldn’t have noticed the lump if not at the groomers as the tail isn’t somewhere you would usually stroke and feel. Kelly loves Rufus and really looks after him, so we want to say a big thanks for spotting it. Who'd have known what would have happened if she hadn’t noticed.”

Rufus had to have his tail removed, but is now making a good recovery. He's been visiting Kelly for a groom every six weeks for the last three years. She said: “You get to know everything about a dog as you groom them. I’ve discovered similar things before on other dogs so I mentioned it to the owners so they could get it checked out. Dogs are my life and you do worry; I’m so pleased they caught it. Now he’s got a fully docked tail like a little bunny rabbit. It’s lovely and suits him – when he gets washed he wiggles his bum.”

21/02/2024

Arthur's owner Louise says he "looked like a brand-new tortoise" after having his beak filed at Sutton in Ashfield Vets4Pets.

Louise adopted the four-year-old Horsefield Tortoise from a family member in October. Although she has had other pets, Arthur is her first tortoise, so she has been doing some research on how to best care for him.

Louise said: "I noticed Arthur's beak was unusually long, so I brought him in to Vets for Pets; I bring all my pets there. When he came out, I thought 'you beautiful boy, look at you – you look so handsome!"

Vet Steph, who looked after Arthur, says that tortoise beaks continuously grow and normally grind down themselves while they're eating. She said: "Arthur needed a little help as his jaw isn't perfectly aligned; his lower jaw is further out than his top jaw, so I filed it around half a centimetre. He was really good; a real cutie."

18/02/2024

Owner Claire says she couldn't be more grateful to Vets4Pets Hamilton after their quick diagnosis saved the sight of six-year-old Alba.

Claire knew there was something terribly wrong with her miniature dachshund cross when she called her in from the back garden last summer and Alba ran headfirst into a closed patio door. She rushed her to the vets, where investigations led the team to diagnose her with uveitis – an eye condition which causes inflammation of the middle layer of the eye.

Claire said: "It all happened so suddenly; Alba must have heard my voice and guessed where to go. It was quite scary seeing how bad she was. We couldn't be more grateful for the team in Hamilton spotting the uveitis as quickly as they did, otherwise Alba would have gone blind within a matter of days. Their knowledge saved Alba's sight. I still can't believe it happened. It's taken months of treatments, but it's such a relief to have our girl back to being her funny, bossy self."

Vet Neil, one of the team who treated Alba, said: "Alba's pupil was really narrow and wouldn't respond to light properly, which can be a sign of uveitis. Once we had ruled out other conditions, we were able to get her to an eye specialist for ongoing treatment. She's now doing really well."

16/02/2024

Ducky's owner Antonia was in a state of panic when she saw a fox had dug its way into the field where she keeps him – killing two of her other ducks and chickens.

Antonia was about to move her brood into their pen for the evening when she saw what had happened and noticed that Ducky had severe bite wounds under his wing. She rushed him to Vets4Pets Vets Milton Keynes for emergency surgery – and after having his wound stitched up the one-year-old duck is now making a good recovery.

Antonia said: "I was so worried. You don’t often hear of ducks recovering from fox attacks, but there is something about Ducky and the way he was so brave. I'm sure he was protecting a lady duck, as he's a bit of a romantic. It's the first time we've gone to Vets for Pets, and the team were amazing; they've done an incredible job."

Vet Becca, who treated Ducky, said: "He's a really lucky duck, as it was quite a big wound. When he first came in, he was understandably subdued and quiet but when he came back for his stitches to be taken out, he wanted to explore and tuck his head into everyone’s shoulders."

07/02/2024

Well done to the team at Vets4Pets Guildford who've been awarded a silver level certificate for being a rabbit-friendly clinic.

After head veterinary nurse Ella noticed that more customers were bringing in rabbits the practice took a series of steps to give them as stress-free an experience as possible. Ella, who also fosters rescue dogs in her spare time, said: "There was a long list of things that we needed to prove that we did from making sure the rabbits are kept separate from other animals and not booked in at the same time as barking dogs, to providing heated kennels for those who need to stay in, and using special equipment made especially for rabbits."

Practice manager Kevin said: "All of our vets have plenty of experience with rabbits we have some real rabbit geeks here, so it was a big thing to us. There are so many good people in this world and I'm so proud to be around them."

28/01/2024

Beautiful Bear was born deaf, so he's learned to follow his owner Lisa's visual commands.

Lisa, who shops at our Tamworth store – "it's my second home!" – got two-year-old Bear as a kitten and suspected he was deaf when he didn't respond to her voice. She had it confirmed by her vet soon after. She said: "He was very scatty, and scared of people he didn’t recognise. He wasn’t bothered by loud noises like my other cat Emily and when I came home from work he wouldn’t hear the door open.

"He's doing really well though. I try to do some sign language with him – I point at him and do a solid hand sign at him to stop. He picks up on vibrations and scents too. He meows, making a really loud chirping sound which I’ve never heard a cat do before, and he’s always rubbing his head against my legs and following me everywhere. I was advised not to let him out because he wouldn’t hear cars or other dangers, so he comes outside with me every morning to have a sniff around the garden and always comes straight back in." Bear and Lisa's other cat Emily are on Instagram as

27/01/2024

Ten-year-old Dutch rabbit Alfie has been visiting vet Kate at Vets4pets Wolverhampton for dental treatment for the last eight years – and she says he's such a loveable character that he's become "part of the family".

He's one of the oldest rabbits treated by Kate and the team, and she says his longevity is down to the care and love he gets from his owner Tracy and her family. Kate said: "Alfie is famous in this practice – everyone knows him. We and his family are dedicated to making sure her little old man is happy. The beautiful thing about being a vet or vet nurse is you build these relationships with the owners and their pets – they become your surrogate pets."

Tracy's been keeping rabbits all her life, and says that having space and routine is key. She said: "Alfie is an old man now and has a routine. He goes into a hutch at night and is let out in the morning. He's out all day and has his favourite spots in the house. We clean him out every day and give him a lot of attention. When he was younger he would follow us around; if I was clearing a cupboard out he would be in the cupboard to help. Now he's old and wants to be warm and watch instead. I can't thank Kate and the practice enough. Kate's been fantastic with him."

26/01/2024

Eight-year-old Winnie the Schnauzer cross is running around like a puppy again thanks to laser treatment and physiotherapy after two successful knee operations at Vets for Pets Basildon.

Worried owner Tracy brought Winnie in to the practice after she collapsed on a walk last year – and the team discovered the cruciate ligament in a knee had ruptured. She’s since had ops on two knees and is on a recovery plan led by vet physiotherapist Izzy.

Tracy said: "Winnie has had a tough year with 15 teeth removed, two cruciate ligament operations and two bouts of pancreatitis but thankfully she's hardy. She’s treated fabulously at the Basildon practice. Izzy is great with her – she totally relaxes in her hands and does little snores with her eyes open. Winnie has a new lease of life again and is running around like a puppy."

Izzy said: "When pets have surgery or injure themselves they move differently which causes them to be sore in other places. Winnie has laser therapy then a massage to help the healing process. Laser treatment is a specialist service that not enough people know about – it can help in so many ways after an operation.”

19/01/2024

The team at Vets4Pets Cramlington say greyhound Frank was "an absolute gentleman" when he came in for some dental work.

Seven-year-old Frank was brought in by owner Harriet to get rid of some plaque which had built up and to treat a gum inflammation. Veterinary nurse Vicki said: "Frank was a very good boy and left with clean, fresh and sparkly teeth. It's so very important to get your dog's teeth checked and we advise pets to have an annual dental check. Eighty per cent of dogs over the age of three have dental disease. Prevention is much better than cure and regular checks and routine cleaning keep your pet's mouth healthier for longer and can help to prevent extensive extractions later in life. We are always happy to offer advice on maintenance and dental care at home such as teeth brushing or dental supplements."

18/01/2024

Veterinary nurse Mel from Vets4Pets Bristol Longwell Green loves cats so much she's helped the practice make a number of improvements to give cats as stress-free an experience as possible when they're brought in.

Mel, who has an Advanced Certificate in Feline Behaviour for Veterinary Professionals, helped introduce facilities like a separate feline waiting area and cattery and the use of quiet clippers – and the practice now has a silver level certificate for being a cat-friendly clinic. She said: "I love dogs but I'm really a cat person. Cats can be misunderstood which can lead to them having quite a stressful life, so if we can make things easier for them and help people understand what cats need then everyone will be happier.

"As animal lovers there's always more to learn and understand about what makes them happy. Enrichment at the home is important for a happy cat – and as cats are naturally solitary animals if you live in a multi-cat household it's important to understand what they need. The rule is to have a resource per cat, plus one spare. So if you have two cats you should have three feeding stations, three litter trays and three scratch posts spread around the house so they have the opportunity to move around to wherever they want to go. Scratching is as natural a thing for cats to do as going out hunting is, so if they're unable to go out it's about providing the chance for them to behave as naturally as possible."

07/01/2024

Four-year-old Sebastian the Jack Russell is back to his usual boisterous self after being treated at Vets4Pets Abingdon for a condition that was causing the knee caps on his back legs to dislocate when he walked.

The condition, known as medial patellar luxation, would cause him to hop or skip when exercising. It's quite common in terriers and small dog breeds, but Sebastian's case was quite severe and he was given surgery by orthopaedic surgeon Joe to deepen the groove his patella runs in on his right hind leg, and also to move and reattach his patellar tendon.

Sebastian is owned by practice vet Hannah who said: "After the operation he just wanted to get back to normal straight away but he couldn't ... and that's where we struggled. He wanted to be out and about, charging around and playing with his toys but he needed to rest." Hannah had to give him medication for six weeks to give his knees time to heal. She said: "He's absolutely fine now – he's fully recovered and running around like a lunatic again!"

05/01/2024

When 11-year-old lurcher Jess was brought into Vets for Pets Leeds Birstall 24/7 Small Animal Hospital on Christmas Eve feeling very poorly with pyometra – a life-threatening uterus infection – the team knew they had to act fast; so vet Emily and nurses JD and Hannah headed straight in to perform emergency surgery on her in the early hours of Christmas morning.

The operation went so well that by lunchtime nurse Krishna was able to call her owner Beth to say she was well enough to come home to recuperate – and Beth made the hour-long drive from her home in Keighley so she could bring Jess home before the family sat down for their Christmas dinner. Beth said: "It was a stressful start to Christmas, as we were worried about Jess because of her age and because she's never had anything wrong with her before. We're so grateful for everything – it was so nice of them to come in on Christmas Day to operate on her, to look after her so well and to get her home on top form. The vets were fantastic from start to finish. Jess is recovering nicely – you can see the happiness is back in her!"

Krishna said: "Our night team always do an amazing job, and performing serious surgery like that at that time of night and on Christmas Day of all days is just brilliant. Jess did amazingly well to bounce back so quickly, and it was amazing being able to call her owners to say that she could come home to spend Christmas with them. It's the sort of call we all love to make, but doing it on Christmas Day was extra nice."

03/01/2024

Six-foot-long boa constrictor Astrix was the centre of attention when he called in for a routine "top to tail" health check at Vets4Pets Penzance.

Astrix, who's four, is part of a menagerie of six snakes, bearded dragons and six dogs belonging to veterinary nurse Lowenna, who works at the practice, and her partner Mark. The team looked at Astrix's eyes and mouth and checked his breathing to rule out any respiratory infections and also checked his scales.

Lowenna said: "He got a clean bill of health, he was absolutely fine and everyone had a turn holding him. Asterix is quite reserved, a little bit shy usually. He did really well when he came in as everyone wanted to touch him and he was like 'okay I quite like the attention.' Astrix has got a lovely big set-up at home. He's quite a big boy, weighing in at nearly 10 kilos, so the vivarium is more than seven foot long. We have a reptile room and he has the run of it. He has a large bucket of water too if he ever wants to submerge himself."

02/01/2024

This brave girl is collie-cross Sherpa, who the team at Vets for Pets Livingston say was "impeccably calm" when she was rushed in for emergency injury after hurting her eye in a freak accident.

Sherpa's owner Caroline was taking Sherpa for a walk when Sherpa caught her eye on a stick as she went exploring a bush. She was quickly admitted into surgery where she received X-rays and, after a two-hour procedure by practice owner Dr Adam, aided by nurse Erin, the stick was removed. Adam said: "Sherpa was amazingly tolerant following an extremely random occurrence. It was astonishing." Sherpa didn't lose her sight and is now making a great recovery.

Caroline said: “We were suddenly thrown into the worst living nightmare, it was absolutely horrifying. It’s truly a miracle what Adam and the team achieved from the moment they answered our call for help. They gave us hope."

24/12/2023

This little Christmas cracker is Molly, who survived against the odds and gave birth to three premature puppies after being brought in to Vets for Pets Cirencester as a pregnant stray with severe injuries from a fight with other dogs.

Martina, who owns the practice, said: ”It was really touch and go and we thought Molly might not make it. The team treated mum first, got her on a drip and stabilised her before successfully managing to deliver the puppies – two boys and a girl – by caesarean section."

Molly, who's a Cairn Terrier, and her three pups are recovering well at home with Martina. “As they needed 24/7 care I took them home and emptied the whole spare bedroom so there was a nice, warm and comfortable quiet place for Molly and her puppies. I was attached to her for the first five days – my husband Matt even brought food up to the bedroom for me as I stayed there all the time. It was really hard work but it was all worth it. They’re absolute darlings and doing really well now – mum is already brave enough to go on dog walks.”

Martina says Molly will continue living with her in the future, and the puppies will be adopted when they are stronger.

19/12/2023

This beautiful buzzard is on the mend after undergoing surgery on a broken wing at Vets4Pets Newmarket after he was hit by a car.

A member of the public rescued the buzzard and brought him in to see if the team could help. After a successful operation and five days of recuperation he's ben taken to The Raptor Foundation rehabilitation centre to continue his recovery.

Practice manager Natalie said: "We put him under general anaesthetic and performed orthopaedic surgery. We'll see him again next month to see how he's progressing and then hopefully he'll be released back into the wild. We wish him a speedy recovery as he's such a handsome chap.”

17/12/2023

Here's a salutary tale in the run-up to Christmas Day ... the story of poor little Tego, who had to be rushed to Vets for Pets Morpeth for emergency treatment after snaffling 48 Quality Street chocolates, their wrappers and part of the box.

Owner Sarah realised chocolate was toxic for dogs so phoned the vets who told her to get the five-year Tibetan Terrier there immediately. Sarah said: "They were brilliant with him. The chocolates were a birthday present for my daughter Olivia, and they were all wrapped up and put in the lounge with the door shut. I went to work and when I came back Tego had somehow managed to get in the room and rip into them."

Vet Eleni and the team helped Tego cough everything up and took blood tests and put him on medication before he was allowed home. Eleni said it's a useful reminder to keep chocolates well hidden – and to act fast if your dog eats any and induce vomiting within one to two hours to prevent the body from absorbing the toxins.

16/12/2023

Five-year-old Buddy will be thinking twice about picking up sticks in future after one pierced his tongue and he had to be taken for treatment at Vets4Pets Lisburn.

Owner Danielle says Buddy doesn't normally play with sticks but one day he saw other dogs having fun with sticks and ran over to join in. "We heard a loud yelp and he came sheepishly over to us, with his tail between his legs, and we realised he was in pain. We took him to the practice where Becky the vet found the hole under his tongue and treated him with dissolving stitches, antibiotics and painkillers. Becky was so lovely."

Danielle says: "Buddy is doing absolutely great now and we are keeping an extra eye on him – we've even bought him a fake fabric bendy stick from Pets at Home!"